8 weeks in adjudication with ESD and can't get through on phone - desperate for help

i been there man the esd system is COMPLETELY BROKEN!!!!! they dont care about real people AT ALL. my claim was stuck for 9 weeks last year and guess what?? they never even looked at it until i showed up IN PERSON at the worksource office and refused to leave. even then it took anothr 3 weeks. the whole thing is designed to make u give up.

That's so frustrating! I didn't think going to WorkSource would help since their website says they can't access adjudication info. Did you just refuse to leave until someone helped you? I'm willing to try anything at this point.

Sorry you're going through this. Adjudication delays are unfortunately common, but 8 weeks is excessive even by ESD standards. A few things that might help:\n\n1. Make sure you're still filing your weekly claims on time, even while in adjudication\n2. Check your eServices account for any alerts or requests for information you might have missed\n3. Try calling right when they open at 8:00 am or during off-peak hours (Wednesday/Thursday afternoons tend to be less busy)\n4. If you haven't already, upload any supporting documents that might help resolve your issue (separation letter, communications with employer, etc.)\n\nKeep documenting everything, including your attempts to contact them. This will be important if you end up needing to appeal anything.

Thank you for the detailed advice. I've definitely been keeping up with my weekly claims and checked for messages multiple times. I'll try calling at 8am sharp tomorrow. Is there a direct number to reach adjudication specifically, or just the main unemployment line?

I got stuck in adjudiction for like 5 weeks back in January. have u checked ur eservices messages? sometimes they need more info but dont call u they just leave a message there. also make sure ur answering the weekly filing questions right bc one wrong answer can mess everything up.

I've checked eServices messages almost daily and there's nothing there asking for more info. I'm careful with the weekly filing questions too. It feels like my claim just fell into a black hole.

Just went through this nightmare myself. After 6 weeks of getting nowhere with ESD's regular phone line, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual ESD agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3\n\nOnce I finally spoke with someone, I found out there was a discrepancy between what my employer reported and what I had entered, but the agent was able to push my claim through after verifying my information. My payments started coming through a week later. Definitely worth trying if you're desperate - I know I was!

does that actually work? sounds like a scam to me... why would you need a service just to call unemployment??

I was skeptical too, but it worked for me. The problem is ESD's phone system hangs up when there are too many callers, so this service basically keeps calling until it gets through, then connects you. I spent weeks trying on my own with no luck before trying it.

I'm a former WorkSource employee, and I can tell you that escalation is your best option at this point. Here's what I recommend:\n\n1. Contact your state legislator again, but this time be VERY specific. Ask them to submit a formal legislative inquiry to ESD on your behalf. This puts your claim on a special list.\n\n2. File a formal complaint through the ESD website - these actually do get reviewed and can trigger a review of your claim.\n\n3. If you have any medical or financial hardship, request a hardship escalation. Document your eviction risk and utility shutoff notices.\n\n4. Continue filing weekly claims without fail.\n\nThe adjudication backlog got worse again in 2025 after they implemented the new system update, so you're not alone. The standard is supposed to be 3-4 weeks, not 8.

This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I didn't know about the formal legislative inquiry option - I'll call my representative's office tomorrow and specifically request that. My eviction notice is definitely documentation I can use for the hardship escalation. Would you recommend uploading these to my eServices account or submitting them another way?

when I was waiting for my claim I ended up contacting the governors office!! sounds extreme but it worked after everything else failed. google wa governor unemployment assistance and you'll find the form. got a call from esd 2 days later!!

This is what worked for my cousin too! The governors office has some special connection i guess

One thing to check - what type of adjudication issue do you have? You can sometimes see this in your eServices account under

It just says

To answer your earlier question - upload your hardship documentation directly to your eServices account under

Thank you so much for this specific advice. I just uploaded my eviction notice with exactly that description in the document field. I'm going to try all the other suggestions too. Hopefully between the legislative inquiry, governor's office, and hardship escalation something will work. I'll update here if I make progress in case it helps someone else.

one more thing - if ur using a cell phone to call try using a landline if u can. my buddy swears the ESD phone system treats landline calls differently and he got thru after trying from his moms house phone when his cell kept getting hung up on

thats just superstition lol a phone is a phone